Apparatus for feeding and burning prepared coal.



W. G. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

WITNESSES A TTORNEY W. 6. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

APPLICATION H'LH) APR,29.1914.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

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wmvzsszs gaQdRk W. 6. WILSON.

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

J u no n 1. 4 1.1 r P Q APPLICATION FILED APR.29, I914.

WITNESSES W. 6. WILSON. APPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

m 9% L m m H 8 m m E V 0 I M I U m \n A m N E I TNE 88E 8 W. 6. WILSONAPPARATUS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

APPLICATION HLU) Fu :39, 39H. 7 H 1,179,488. Patented Apr. 16, 1911).

5 SHEEKS-SHEU' WYLIE G. WILSON, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS R FEEDIN G AND BURNING PREPARED COAL.

Specification of lletters Patent.

Patent-ed Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed April 29, 1914. Serial No. 835,086.

To all whom it may concern...

Be it known that I, WYLIE G. WILSON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Feeding and Burning Prepared (.0211, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in feeding and burningprepared coal.

While my new apparatus may be and is intended to be used in connectionwith the burning of what I have designated as pulverized coal, in boilerfurnaces or otherwise, yet an important object of my invention is theproduction of a combustion apparatus or system in which what I havedesignated as crushed coal may be used as boiler furnace and other fuel;and by crushed coal I mean coal crushed so that it will all pass throughscreens of from about 5 to 7 mesh. I find that when the crushed coal isof much greater coarseness, the cost of conveyance in automaticapparatus of the kind now shown becomes greater than the cost ofcrushing the coal to about'the coarseness specified; but in thuspointing out the best mode now known to me of practising my invention, Ido not intend to limit its use to any degree of fineness or coarsenessof the coal used, for I have actually used with success so far as merecombustion is concerned coal crushed to pass through. a quarter-inchmesh screen.

From what has been stated, it-is obvious that the invention involves andis largely addressed to the practical and economic aspectsof coalcombustion.

Another object of this inventi n is to burn coal high in volatileconstituents with a minimum of smoke.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and showing myinvention embodied in the best form now known to me,

Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section, through a form of steamboiler, my new furnace, and through some other portions of theapparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vlew mainly of the batch-conveyormechanism which forms a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Thisview is partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig.3; is an enlargedview partly in elevation andpartly in section, and showsspeed-controlling mechanism, governing mechanism, andcombustion-supporting-air regulating valve mechanism operativelyconnected together. This mechanism is shown in somewhat smaller scale inFig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section at line 44 of Fig. 5 looking down on thewhorl contained in an air-supply conduit. Fig. 5 is in part a transversesection of my new furnace construction at line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is aview partly in section at a line corresponding to line 66 of Fig. 1,showing the slag-basin structure in top plan view and indicating moltenslag in the basin. Fig. 7 is a view of another form ofapparatusembodying this invention, in which two electric motors and electricaldevices are substituted for the two steam engines and for theirconnections with the steam boiler. Figs. 8 and 9 show still another formof apparatus containing this in. ention, in which a single motor, whichmay be of any kind, is substituted for the two steam engines or for thetwo electric motors.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a hopper having an outlet 2 whichdelivers into the feed-hopper 3 of the crushing mill 4 which may be ofany suitable type. The mill has a main shaft 5 provided with a beltwheel 6 and is supported on a base 7. The mill also has an eduction pipe8 the lower end of which discharges into a feed-hopper 8 within which ismounted an agitator 9, the.

lowerend of the feed-hopper 8 inclosing a pipe 10 and dischargingthereinto. An endless disk-carrying chain 11 provided with disks mspaced apart to form a. series of pockets 7/, is mounted on sprockets 13and 13 and the peripheries of the disks engage the inner wall of thepipe 10 in their passage therethrough. The chain 11 travels in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig.

1. The shaft 14. is provided with a spur gear 15 and also with a beltpulley 16 from which a belt 17 extends over a pulley '18 on the shaft 19of the agitator 9 to drive the agitator.

A worm 20 on shaft 21 meshes with the gear 15 to drive it, and the shaft21 is pro vided with a belt pulley 22-fromywhich a belt 23 runs to thebelt pulleyg2 4 of the Steam engine 25, Pipe 10 is provided with with alink diametrically opposite ports at its tubular extensions 26'a'nd 27.This batch-conveyer comprising the pipe 10., the disk-carrying chain 11,and having the opposite ports at 26 and 27, is a form of the inventionshown in my United States Patents Nos.1,0-S,Oi9, granted to me December2%, 1912, and 1,069,308, granted August 5, 1913:

The tubular extension 27 of pipe 10 is connected by an air-pipe 28 witha receiver or header a valve 30 being preferably located in pipe 28.\Vhile only one batchconveyer sl-own connected with the header 29, aplur arv of them may be connected with it if so desired as will bereadily understood, and one engine 25 may be used as will be readilyunderstood, for opcrating a piurality of the batch-conveye'rs. Thereceiver or header is connected by an air-pipe 31 witha pressure blowerof any approved construction, and

the drive-shaft 33 of which is shown connected by a belt 3* with apulley 35 on the shaft 36 of a steam engine 37, from the steamchest 38of which a steam-pipe 39 leads to the main steam-pipe 40 of the steamoiler 41 the fire-tubes of'which are shown by 42. A valve 43 is shown intheisteam pipe 39. The smokestack M of the boiler furnace 4-5 isprovided with a damper 46 and leads from the front connection 47, theboiler shell l8 resting as usual on the arch 49 of thecombustion-chamber 50. v

The shaft 36 of engine 37 provided with a belt pulley 51 from which abelt 52 runs to a pulley 53 on the shaft of a fan blower 55, theair-intake ofwhieh is indicated by 56. The educiion spout 57 of thecasing has attached to it a discharge pipe 58 which is provided with aby-pass pipe which opens into and discharges-back into, the air-intake56 of tlieiai ca'siiig,

Tl'ieadrnission of air from the fan casing, to the by-pass pipe 59 isregulated by the flap valve 69 on a rocker shaft 61 provided to whichone end of a pitman 63 is connected, the other end of the pitman beingjointed at 6% to a rocker arm (35 which is fixed on the rocker shaft.66,the latter being provided with a rocker arm 67 which is jointed at 68 toone end of a link 69 the other end of which is jointed at 70 to a rockerarm 'i'lof a valve 72 in a valve casing 73 which isinsertcd in thelength of a steam-pi e 'Ydfleadingto the steam-chest 75 of the st"engine from the main steampipe 40. A valve 76 is shown located in thesteam-pipe 71 adjacent main steam-pipe 40. Steam from'the mainsteam-pipe 40 drives engine and the rocker shaft 66 is automaticallyactuated by variations of pressure in the' -boiler 42 to vary theposition of the valve 72 which constitutes a speed controller for engine'25, and also to vary the position of the 'valve 60 which constitutesthe com-- bustion-supporting-air regulating-valve of v ton-rod 79 ofwhich passes through an adustable plug 80 in the open end ofthe governorcasing 77. A coil spring 81 surrounds the piston-rod abutting at one endagainst the pistoxrrod side of the piston. 78, and at its other endagainst the inner end of the adjustable plug 80, adjustments of whichvary the tension of the spring. The pistonrod 7 9 is connected to arocker arm 82 fixed on the rocker-shaft (36 by the swinging link 83. Thegovernor casing 77 is made solid at its end opposite the adjusting plug80 and a steam-pipe 84 from a special branch 40 of the main steam-pipeleads into the pressure-chamber 85 of the governor casing 77. The pipe84 is provided with a branch pipe 86 to discharge into a steam trap andcarry ofl" water of condensation forming in the pressure-chamber 85 andthe steampipe 84. A valve 87 is shown in pipe 84 adjacent the specialmain-steam-pipe branch 40. l

The combustion-supporting air-pipe 58 leads into the combustion-riminber50 of the boiler furnace 45,'prcferably leading ver tically downwardinto the combustionchamber 50 through the top of the furnace arch 49;and, as shown, the pipe 58 extends upwardly from its connection with theblower tan casing 55 and thence down \vardly, its vertical lower endportion forming a inixing-chainber from :r: to m (Fig. 1). iheierahlythe lower end of this mix big-chamber portion of the pipe 58 isflattened on its sides to form an eli'ingatcd nozzle or discharge-port ithe greater length of which extends in the direction of the length ofthe arch 49. in the upper part of this mixirig-chamber section of theaii pipe 58 I place a whorl which con sists of a 'ierforated disk 89that is slit from a central bore to its periphery the two free ends ofthe'disk thus formed being oFfsel relatively one to the other to form apart'of a helix. Vin-n the air under pressure travels downwardly in pipe58 as indicated by the arrow, it is whirled in its passage through andpast the whorl. The whirlwind thus created in the upper part of themixing-chamber section and traveling down- \vardly, encounters annp-going current of coal reduced to small llill'tltfles issuing from theup-turned discharge end 90 of the iroaL supply pipe 91. the delivery endof this pipe being entered. in the mixing-rlmmla-r below the whorl andabove its discharge and into the combustioxrchamber 50. The coal-coivveyingz pipe 26 of the batcli-convevin pipe 10.

The'bridge wall 92 oi the furnace. bus its loads in the tubularcxi'ensimn lOO llO

usual position extending above fire-brickwork 93 which extendstransversely across the furnace as a 'forward transverse projectionofthebridge wall. The front end 94 of the brickwork or transverse wall f)?extends as shown and preferably forwardly of the rear end-of the arch19. This transverse mass of brickwork 93 forwardly of the bridge wall 92occupies a Space in the furnace that is customarily occupied by therearward portion of grate-bars which are not required in the presentfurnace construction- The brickwork 93 extends forwardly, forming thebottom and sides of is also extended forwardly of its fr nt wall.

the under blast chamber 95 which corresponds in position to the ordinaryaslrpit of, a grate-bar furnace. The brickwork 93 94 to ,form the roof93 of the un er blast chamber 95. Preferably in the new copstructionparallel T-bars 96 are built in to supportthe roof portion 93* of theunder blast chamber 95; and-where the present invention is incorporatedin existing gratebar boiler furnaces, some or all of the gratebars maybe used to support the rooi 3 in lieu of putting in new ironwork as at96.

The roof 93 forms the bottom of the com-' bustion chamber 50 and it alsoconstitutes the bottom of a slag basin which is formed by-the brickwork93*, by the bricks 99 of the combustion chamber. by the wall 94 of thebrickwork, and by the front wall portion 71 of the furnace. This frontWall portion of the furnace is suitably perforated at 07 for drawing offthe slag, these holes being suitably plugged when required.

The wall 93* forming the roof of the under blast chamber 95 and thebottom of the combustion chamber 50 and of the slagbasin, is slotted at98, 98 laterally of the path of the entering current of mixed air andcoal from the mixing-chamber section of the air-pipe 58, thedischarge-port 7 and the wall portion 93 being spaced apart by theheight of the combustion chamber and the slots 98, preferably as shown.extending in the direction of the length of the combustion chamber fromthe front wall of the furnace to the wall 94 of the brickwork At theinner side of each slot 98 a ridge of upstanding firc-brickwork 99 islaid on the wall 93, and along the outward side of each slot 98' acourse 99 of fire-bricks is l id,..reach of these courses slantingupwardly and inwardly from an outward edge of the wall 93 and beingspaced apart from the adjacent ridge 99 to form an upwardly and inwardlyextending slot. the inner surfaces ofthe walls being spaced apart toboth ends. Into its outer end portion the steam-n0ZZle 102 of thesteam-pipe 103 leads, discharging centrally and entraining outside airin operation. The steam-pipe 103 leads to the main steam-pipe 40 and isshown provided with a valve 104.

The main steam-pipe 40 is also shown with valves 105. The valves 43, 46,87, 104 and 105 are ordinary regulating shut-off valves.

The governor comprises, as shown in Fig. 3, a stop member 100 which isthreaded at 107 through the adjustable plug 80, its inner end extendingwithin the coiled spring and being adapted to limit-the movement of thepiston in the direction of the plug. The purpose of this stop member isto prevent the coal sppply from being wholly shut off in case the springbreaks, or from any other cause. the adjustment of the member limitingthe range of'mov'en 'ent of the piston.

The closed or solid endijnall. portion of the governor casing isgrtloved at 108, the steampipe 84 entering the pressure chamber 85 at apoint removed front the end wall of the casing. and the groove 108extending lengthwise of the cylindrical portion of the casing and. asshown. partway across the inner surfacot the end wall. The purpose ofhaving the steam-pipe 84 enter the pressure chamber 85 at a pointremoved from the end wall thereof and the purpose of the groove 108, areto form. at the solid end of the piston casing a form of dash-pot toprevent the piston from pounding on the end wall of the casing undercertain conditions, the groove 108 permitting steam to escape into thespace between the piston and the end wall when the piston has movedforwardlv so as to cover the inlet end of the pipe 84.

The pipe 101 is preferably provided with an automatic governor valve 109connected to the rocker-shaft 06 by means of said members 05. 64, 63. 02and 61. the latter being a rocker-shaft: and by means of the rocker arm110 on said rocker-shaft 61. the link 111 connecting the outer end, ofthe rocker-arm 110 with arocker-arm 112 fixed on the rocker-arm 113 ofthe governor valve or damper 109 which controls the air-inlet 114 of theair-induction. nozzle orshort tube 101. The furnace is provided With theusual door 97* above the perforations at. 97 through which the moltenslagin the slag basin maybe tapped out. I i

The mode of operation is: The coal crusher or reducer 4 is drii'en by abelt to pulley 0 or in any other suitable manner. The reduced coalpassing the agitator flows into the batch-conveyor tube 10 inpredetermined quantities depending on't e size of the pockets and thespeed of the conveyer. the conveyer being driven through the steam engme25m; a speed Which'increases as-the 30 pressure in steam boiler lldecreases below the predetermined working pressure of the steam boiler,and which decreases as such vboiler increases it pushes the governor piston '78 against the spring 81 and moves the pistonro'd 79 so thattlni'rugh its connections with the valve 71- the latter is given aclosing movement whereby the flow of steam to the steam engine .25 isreduced and consequentl vthe speed of the batch-convever is reduced. onthe other hand, decrease of the pressure in boiler 41 permits the spring81 to push the piston '78 in the reverse direction, giving: an openingmove ment to the valve 772 and so speeding up the batch-conveyer.

The steam engine 37 is run substantially at constant speed so that boththe pressure blower 32 and the {an blower 57) are opcrated atsubstantially constant speed. The air-current from the pressure blowersup- 4 plies an air current which cxpcls the coal charges in theoonvever pockets p successively through the opposite pipe 91 and forcesthe reduced. coal in the mixing-chama ber portion ot the air-supply pipe58 toward the discharge side of the air whorl 88. such discharge ridc inthe present form being the under side of the whorl. 'lheissuing reducedcoal is mixed with air for (ombl stion issuing through the whorl andforced thereto by the tan blower through the bipc so that the mixture ofair and reduced coal is led under head to the combustion-chamber.

The valve governs the quantity of air for combustion fed through thepipe 58, this valve (30 being moved, as will be plain from the abovedescription. whenever valve 72 is moved. \Vhcn valve 72 is given anopening movement to increase the speed of the batch- -cou\cvcr. theair-valve no is given an opening movement in relation to the air-supplypipc to increase the supply of ainfor combustion through the pipe 58.When the coal-supply regulating valve 72 is given a closing: movcnicntlo decrease the speed of the llatch-clmvevor. the air supply valve 60 isgiven a closing" movement in relation to the pipe 5a to decrease thecombustion air supply through the pipe 58 correspondingly to thedecrease ol the coal supply. .\s fan blower 55 delivers a onstant v lumeof air. and as the volumc of air supplied to the pipe Sfs'anusl be inreased or diminished as above explained. the b v-pas's" pipe. 59 isclogd more or less lav thc valve (it) durin; the mow mcnts l' thelatter. with the result of var in; the ouanlitv of air dclivcrcd to thepipe 58. The return of excess air into the airintake of the fan blowerdecreases the power required to drive the fan.

The slag basin and the presence in it of a body of molten slag indicatedby S, when the apparatus is in operation, is a very important feature ofthis invention broadly considered, because the body of molten slag andash acts to catch the ash formed during combustion. the ash or slagparticles being caught on the viscous surfaces of the molten bod verymuch as tlies are caught on sticky fly-paper; or as, according to knownprac tice. smoke in passing to a smoke stack is blown against water tocause the latter to catch the unconsumed carbon and ash carried by thesmoke. By entrapping the ash on the viscous surface of the molten slagand ash body, such slag and ash are prevented from being carried intothe. boiler setting and clogging it. and this is an important functionand advantage of the slag body. The molten slag body also forms anunpingr ing surface for the flame and thus protects the bottom wall ofthe combustion chamber from undue and expensive disintegration by thegreat heat generated in the combustion chamber. And what is also an imiortant lunctiono't' the slag basin and slag iiody that the basin holdsthe molten ash and slag in fluid condition so that it can be readilytapped out when necessary. through the tap holes, without the laborheretofore required in booing or pulling out accumulated ash and slag.

The body of molten slag at surf: especially is maintained at a veryl'iigh 1-- pcrature and form an eiliricm torch for th ignitionof theincoming fuel. constitut ng a torch of no ntone) value whereas when, asheretofore in such furnaces (not including stcam-boiler furnaceshowever) as pulveri'/.cd coal has been used in, the hot brickwork keptat a temperature high enough to form an ignition torch. has beendisintegrated by l *at at the expense of the brickwork which has had tobe renewed from time to time.

.\is' stated above. the valve 60 is carried by llu' rocker shaft ill.and as the valve (30 is lli()\\-tl. the rocker-arm llO tiued on therocker-shaft ()1 is oscillated. thereby moving lhc rod ill andrm-kcr-arm 1.12 to vary the position of the valve i controlling theadmission of air into the i'nlilltCF-lllilfit device. .\ir thus admittedhelps to support combuslion. and this air supplv is regulatedautouiaticallv correspondiugly to the air-supply passing: through thepipe 58.

it is not cssential that the under blast i passing: upwardly through theroof of the chamber )5 into the combustion chamber should be a last ofair and of Steam, but it is highly desirable that such blast of air andsteam. If air alone is used, it andcrgocs no hange except in temperatureand partial consumption of its oxygen constituent. It of course tends tocool the combustion-chamber walls by reduction of temperature, but itsmain function in the present apparatus is to keep the coal particlesissuing into the combustion chamber through the port 3 in longersuspension in the combustion chamber and thus givesuch particles longertime in which to burn than would be the case if there were no under orcounter blast impinging on the fuel-supply blast. Nevertheless, byintroducing steam into this counter-blast the same particles-sustainingand cooling effects are obtained and also the steam is dissociated intooxygen and hydrogen, both of which are combustible, and this isadvantageous. It is conceivable that in engines .is,

some cases steam alone might be used for the counter-blast.

While this invention has been thus far described with particularreference to steam boiler furnaces, the invention in whole or in part isapplicable to locomotive engines as well as to steam boilers of thestationary type shown in the drawings and I consider the method hereindescribed of holding reduced coal in-susp nsion while it is burning in acombustion chamber as having a wide range of practical utility invarious forms of combustion apparatus, and I also consider the slagbasin and the body of molten slag as having a wide range of practicalutility in combustion apparatus. Each of these features is broadly newwith me so far as I am advised, and when used in conjunction one withthe other as explained, are of great demonstrated value especially inconnection with the burning of what I have described as crushed coal,which of course includes in its-volume what I have called pulverizedcoal.

In the foregoing description I have referred to the use of two steamengines 25 and 37, and the use of two separate steam from a practicalengineering standpoint, better than the use of one steam engine doingthe work of the two steam engines 25 and 37. But one steam engine may beused if desired in lieu of the two and l have shown such form ofinstallation as a varying form of my invention.

While the use of the steam engines 25 and 37 is preferred to the use ofone steam engine, yet it is perfectly feasible to substitute one or moreelectric motors with appropriate connections for one or both of thesteam engines, and in Fig. 7 l have shown the electrically-actuatedmechanism which for the purposes of this invention constitutes a fullmechanical equivalent of the steam-engine installation. Herein inlieu ofsteam en- 'gines and 37 and the steam pipes 39 and 74, and the overnorvalve 73 in the pi e 74, I show e ectric motors M and M, t 0

motor M being a variable speed motor wired belt pulleys d,

at m to a controlling rheostat m of known construction. The rheostat iswired at to a source m of electricity which is wired at m to the motorM. Otherwise the apparatus is the same as that described, except thatthe rheostat contact lever m is connected by a link at to the lever 82.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show how one motor of any kind, electric, steam, orotherwise, may be employed to perform the function of the steam engines25 and 37 and of the steam pipes 39 and 74 including the governorvalvedevice 73. In these figures the batchconveyer shaft 14 is provided witha friction disk 6 which is rotated by a friction wheel 0 on a shaft dprovided with a bevel gear (1 with which meshes a bevel gear d on ashaft d This shaft is provided with d From pulley d a belt 05 runs to apulley d on the power shaft of a motor E which may be of any desiredkind or which may be considered as a source of power of any kind, theshaft 03 being the power shaft of this form of the invention, and theshaft being provided with a pulley d from which a belt 03" runs to apulley d on the shaft of the pressure blower 32. From the pulley d onthe power shaft a belt f runs to pulley f on the shaft of the fanblower. Otherwise the apparatus is'the same as that described for thepreferred form of the invention.

In all forms of my invention the great heat of the molten slag bodyperforms an active function which in some installations renders itwholly unnecessary to employ any counter-blast of any kind. Suchfunction is to retard the inflow of the fuel mix ture through the port yby what may be called heat-repulsion, and to raise almost instantly onits escape from the port much of the fuel to a state of combustion. Itis to be added that if and when any of the unburned coal particles fallinto the molten slag body they are almost instantly burned.

While some air is in mixture with the coal in the batch-conveyer pocketsand through the coal-supply pipe 81, yet I find in practice that it isdesirable to mix the coal with air for combustion, adjacent the feed-inport and that the proper mixture is obtained by forcible interaction ofthe coal and air which is most simply obtained near the port y by meansof the whirl.

The parallel, upwardly and inwardly inclined passages 100, one at oneside portion and the other at the other side portion of the wall 93direct to counter-blasts in converging currents upward toward the'feed-in port y, and tend to push the enten ing fuel mixture toward thearch, thereby tending to confine the fuel mixture between the moltenslag body and the arch, or in other words to cause the fuel to be burnedin suspension. It is desirable that strain Lo.

(hinwhich delivers into said pipe ad the finer and the coarser particlesof the reduced coal be intimately mixed in order that the finerparticles first raised to a state of combustion may fire the largerparticles.

It is to be said further that no one so far as I know has heretoforesuccessfully burned as a type of fuel or as a regular fuel body what 1have herein designated as crushed coal, or coal of approximately thesize stated.

It is not desired to maintain any partim ulur pressure in the combustionchamber.

While the tm-egoing specification shows and describes in detail aconstruction of rue form of furnace i connection with 4 steam boiler: itto be understood that this invention broadly considered is not conlinedto the operation of steam boilers, but may be embodied or used in allprocesses i involving the treatment of solid fuel finely divided. andthat it is applicable for example to various types of furnaces uwd inmetallurgical PIOCQSSQ-S; and that the auto =1nzitic regulation of thefunctions of the ii 'ipuratus may as well he in accordance with \niinti'1 of temperature at any given point as \r in the eriation of pressurein i res-idling from the variation f ten'ipeimius; said. strain oiler. in is P- nir and c: d. the furnace; and

JLMYHUS into ti combustion hamb head and apps incoming I i iliii,

in, the ntiimephcrc 1 chans- Lver. said pipe coimccting with snail ply-":onil .1it prov t I th an i n'ior Whiri and also rozmectnig with. a.the; supply can cent the mouth sud villain the a 't'uzzhma cmuprisi:unde head f Jilli 2:; Vi: in." tlrhV-vri 5 'seeu-s uol lerhead andoppused to" the "incoming; mixture 01" coal and air,

been; the fuel charge in a state 0:; corn-- liustion is 'nmintumed insuspension. in the chamber gZLSfOIJS volume under head and opposed :-1mi air, of

to the incoming mixture of coal hereby the fuel charge in state eomhustin maintained in suspension the atmosphere of the combustion chamr: and eslag basin containing molten sing at the bottom of the combustion ohanrhe the furnace having a chamber beneath the combustion chamber and apartition between the chambers; the partition having a pair of parallelslots at the inward Side of each of which i 11 ridge and at the outwardside of each of which is an upwardly and inwardly inclined course ofsuitable material, the opposed surface of each course and. the adjacentridge being SPHCEJ. :1 art toform a continuation of one .omhinntir-u airu sv boiler furnd tiF'TaZlQl-i to discharge to charge side of the Whirl;3 const. tact t id to the combustion and 1 ins for disne n ,i inopposition to the inetiun a steam boiier and 1&2? pplypipe; ii Whirl insaid pipe; at flifiisiipi y pipe entering the airs uppi i pip "3 rrangedto discharge toard the ride of the whirl; said i i to deiiver coal and 1head to the combustion nbe o the iii-mace; means for dischargin a gasvolume under iced into the comhusti chamber in opposition to the I'm-53mi disciizmg i and sing basin at bottom of the co stion chamber. 1" isnibinatio'n, of mechanism for reducing c mechanism for conveying it inbatches; vins for mixing the reduced coal with air to means fordischarging the fuel under head into the com ustion chamber of afurnace;

' or maintaining in the combusgaseous i'oiume under head is a current othe intake of the fu nace and s1 steer-Ti boiler: J comprising an airwhizi the prior to its intermixthe ppiy pipe; a whiri in said. misapplypipe entering the an o to deiiver coal and.

form a fuel mess under head;

ture with the fuel, and the furnace having its bottom constructed tocontain a mass of molten slag to withstand the heat thereof and topermit the upward passage of the current opposed to the intake of thefuel mixture.

7. The combination of mechanism for reducing coal; mechanism forconveying it in batches; means for mixing the reduced coal with air toform a fuel body under head; means for discharging the fuel under headinto the combustion chamber of a furnace;

and devices for maintaining in the combustion chamber a gaseous volumeunder head and opposed as a current to the intake of the fuel mixture;said conveying mechanism and means being constructed to exclude from thepresence of the coal all air other than that mixed with the coal tosupport combustion, a furnace and a steam boiler; said mixing meanscomprising an air whirl for whirling the air prior to its intermixturewith the fuel, and the furnace having its bottom constructed to containa 'mass of molten slag to withstand the heat thereof and to permit theupward passage of the current opposed to the inta e of the fuel mixture.

8. The combination of a steam boiler with a "furnace comprising a pipefor feeding under head mixed air and coal into the combustion chamber ofthe furnace; and means for delivering into the combustion-chamber agaseous volume under head and opposed to the incoming mixture of coaland air, whereby the fuel charge in a state of combustion is maintainedin a state of suspension in the atmosphere of the combustionchamber;said pipe connecting with an airsupply conduit provided with an interiorwhirl and also connecting with a fuel-sup ply conduit which deliversinto the said pipe adjacent the mouth of the air-supply conduit andwithin the field of the whirling air issuing from the whirl; the bottomof the furnace being constructed to hold and withstand the heat of abody of molten sla 9 The combination of a steam boiler with a furnacecomprising a pipe for feeding under head mixed air and coal into the combustion chamber of the furnace; means for delivering into the combustionchamber a gaseous volume under head and opposed to the incoming mixtureof coal and air, whereby the fuel charge in a state of combustion ismaintained in suspension in the atmos phere of the combustion chamber;the discharge end of the pipe for feeding the air and coal mixturedischarging through the top wall of the combustion chamber; and said,means'being constructed to discharge said gaseous volume through thebottom wall of the combustion chamber; said pipe connecting with anair-supply conduit provided with an interior whirl and also connectingwith a fuel-supply conduit which delivers into said pipe adjacent themouth of the airsupply conduit and within the field of the whirling airissuing from the whirl; the bottom of the furnace being constructed tohold and withstand the heat ofa body of molten slag.

' 10. The combination of a steam-boiler with zi -furnace comprising apipe for feeding under head mixed air and coal into thecombustion'chamber of the furnace; means for delivering into thecombustion-chamber a gaseous volume under head and opposed to theincoming mixture of coal and air whereby the fuel charge in a state ofcombustion is maintained in suspension in the atmos phere of thecombustion chamber and a slag basin containing molten slag at the bottomof the combustion chamber; the furnace hav ing a chamber beneath thecombustion chamberanda partition betweenthe chambers; the wallof thecombustionchamber bein formed with an opening for admission fromt eunderchamber of the volume op osed to said incoming mixture of coal an air;such opening being removed from the molten-slagholdin walls of the slagbasin.

11. he combination of a steam boiler with a furnace comprising a pipefor feeding under head mixed air and coal into the combustion-chamber ofthe furnace; means for delivering into the combustion-chamber a gaseousvolume under head and opposed to the incoming mixture of coal and airwhereby the fuel charge in a state of combustion is maintained insuspension in the atmosphere of the combustion chamber and a slag basincontaining molten slag at the bottom of the combustion chamber; thefurnace having a chamber beneath the combustion chamber and a partitionbetween the chambers; the wall of the combustion chamber be ing formedwith an opening for admission from the under chamber of the volumeopposed to said incoming mixture of coal and air; such opening beinremoved from the molt'en-slag-holding walls of the slag basin; and astationary air-whirl for the air mixed with coal fed into thecombustionchamber.

12. The combination of a steam boiler with a furnace comprising a pipefor feeding under head m xed air and coal into the combustion chamber ofthe furnace; a

stationary device for giving a whirling motion to the mixture; means fordeliverim into the combustion chamber a gaseous vow ume under head andopposed to the incom ing whirling mixture of coal and air where by thefuel charge in a state of combustion is maintained in suspension in theatmos phere of the combustion chamber, the bottom of the combustionchamber being constructed to hold and resist theheat of atherein-contained body of molten slag and bai'gg aiso wnat dehvery isrl'zcid with an bfi'ening for my hand the presence 0f two subscribing'xbuStion mamber 'of witnesses, this 28th day of April, 191%. thevoh'uzz said incoming mix v tux-e 0f coai 1011 opening being re- VYLIEWILSON 5 mnved fl0i"f;.lhw3 5. surfaces holding the Witnesses: moltenslag body; 1.1m; said mclten slag bbdy. G. BLAKE,

In testimony whamoi I have hereunto set EDWARD E. BLACK.

